Missing Two Weeks
by latbfan
Summary: Bill's POV of events during the Missing Two Weeks at the end of S1. Rated M for language and adult themes. Story is abandoned. My apologies to my readers.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: To all of you faithfully reading _Waking the Dead_ and waiting for an update, my many thanks for your patience. I promise I've not abandoned you or the story, but it's Christmas, and I have little kids. The material left in S1 is intense and a bit of a buzz-kill for my festive good cheer. In order to do it justice, _WtD_ is officially on hold until my kiddos are back in school and I have sufficient time to write. This, _Missing Two Weeks_, will continue to be written in Bill's POV, but it won't be as structured as _WtD_. I'm hoping to update more often with shorter chapters, preferably dealing with lighter material, before diving back into the end of S1. I hope you enjoy my interpretations as to what Bill was up to before Two Weeks Later.

* * *

Chapter One

I drifted through my daytime slumber awash on a sea of pain, images of Sookie being killed and the smell of my own burning flesh haunting my rest. I awoke to the sound of earth being moved from on top of me. I knew it was after dark, but it hurt too much to move. The shoveling stopped, and I felt the thud of weight on top of me, and then gentle hands carefully brushed away the last layer of earth over my face.

"Bill?" Sam's voice was very near my ear. "Bill? Can you hear me?" I felt my fangs pop of their own accord, and my fingers readied for the instinctual attack that was necessary to heal.

"Listen, I have silver, and I'm about to use it. Just wait a second, and I'll help you." I felt it immediately when he placed the silver across my arms and legs. I was still covered in dirt, so it didn't burn, but I felt it draining my already weakened strength. "I know you need the real thing," he continued. "But I don't want to die tonight, so we're going to do some TruBlood first. Just open your mouth."

I fought through the pain and hunger and tried to do as he said, but it was too much.

"Bill?" Sam asked. "Can you open your mouth?" Thankfully, he interpreted my silence correctly. "Just don't bite me." When I felt his hot hands press gently on my blistered lips, even with the silver, even with the pain, even though my conscious mind tried to control it, I heard myself growl and snap at his fingers.

But I'd opened my mouth, and Sam's fingers were quickly replaced with a warmed bottle. I felt the TruBlood trickling down my throat, and for once, the taste didn't disgust me. I painfully swallowed.

"That's it," Sam murmured. He tipped the bottle, and the flow increased. Quickly, the first bottle was gone, and he repeated the flow of synthetic blood into my mouth with a second, and then a third. I was able to painfully open my eyes after the third and watched through singed lashes as he tossed the empty up out of the grave.

Sam smiled when he saw my opened eyes. I knew I looked gruesome, but he didn't appear horrified or cringe away. He was wearing only a t-shirt and boxer shorts, and he lied next to me with his femoral artery against my head.

"I'm going to take away the chain now, but I'll put it back if I think you're taking too much. Deal?" I didn't think I could answer, and he didn't wait for one. "Just don't get any funny ideas about anything else - blood's all I'm offering."

He lifted the chain and held it clutched in his fist as far away from me as he could. As soon as I felt myself free of its force, I lunged into the hot vein. I didn't glamour him or try to make it gentle. Sam groaned and muttered, "mother fucker," as I desperately latched on.

The femoral artery was my favorite place to feed, the blood thick and rich and free-flowing there, the comfort of my head between warm thighs, my nose inhaling the most secret of scents. Sam's blood gushed easily, requiring no effort on my part, and I swallowed mouthful after mouthful, feeling my strength return with every pull. My hair and skin tingled painfully as it regrew and healed.

"Okay, that's enough," Sam finally said, but I couldn't stop. "Bill, I'm serious. Enough."

Reluctantly, I pulled away, licking the puncture wounds closed as Sam slumped back into the dirt. I sat up and stretched in a painful way. I was still thirsty. I smelled the opened bottles of TruBlood on the ground above us, and I leapt out of the grave, sucking one after another down. It wasn't until I'd finished the third that I saw Sam's hand on the edge of the grave.

"Sam," I said as I carefully pulled him out. He looked pale and weak, and he motioned to a sack sitting on the ground. Inside was a bottle of vitamins, a jug of orange juice, and several granola bars. I quickly put two pills between his lips and opened the juice, holding the bottle as he'd held the TruBloods for me. He drank gratefully.

"Sookie?" I asked.

Sam nodded. "They took her to the hospital, but she's home now. She's beat up pretty good, but she's going to be fine."

Once again, the shifter had protected her when I couldn't. I imagined him holding her hand in the ambulance and at the hospital. I saw a faceless nurse pushing her in a wheelchair out of the front door, into the rosy glow of the late-afternoon sun, to Sam's waiting car.

I swallowed unnecessarily. "And you?" I asked, nodding towards the bandage on Sam's forehead. "Were you seriously injured?"

He shook his head. "She took the brunt of it. She said that he was about to… Well, it would've been quite different if you hadn't woken her up. I'll take the stitches out tomorrow."

I nodded.

"I cleared everyone out for you…" Sam quietly said. He took another long, slow swallow of juice and looked away.

"Thank you, Sam," I said. "For…" I gestured to the bite marks on his thigh.

"Well, you saved my life and hers, so we're even now. Don't think it means I like you." I nodded. "And don't tell her, okay? It's…" His voice trailed off as he looked away again. "It's complicated enough."

"Agreed," I said. I opened the last bottle of TruBlood and sipped at it. "You know," I said, wrinkling my nose. "Shifter tastes almost as terrible as this stuff. It's lucky you're so vile, as powerful as your blood is."

Sam smiled. "Lucky me."

"Can you drive?" I asked.

"Yeah. I'll be fine. I need to get back to the bar anyway."

"Sam, thank you."

"Shut up," he said as he slowly got up and slid into his jeans. He sat down on a gravestone to put on his boots. "You don't deserve her."

"I know."

He nodded. "Just checking. Lafayette left some food in the fridge. She needs to eat tonight."

"Sam," I began. I wanted to tell me how much I envied him, how much I appreciated him, how much I would love to hate him but that I couldn't. I wanted to tell him that I didn't hold it against him that he loved her. If she'd been his, I would've done everything in my power to take her from him and make her mine.

"She has an antibiotic and a pain pill to take before bed, too," he interrupted. "That's why she needs to eat, or they'll upset her stomach."

"Sam," I said again.

He dismissed me with a wave of his hand. "Don't keep her up all night, and tell her I'll be back in the morning with breakfast." He turned his back to me and started towards the road at a slow but steady pace.

"Thank you, Sam," I said.

"Go to hell, Compton."

I smiled, gathered up the empty bottles, and quickly went to my house. All the TruBloods helped, but Sam's powerful blood left me completely healed. Without it, I would've taken many nights and a lot of blood to heal. My clothes were ruined, and I shed them on the porch, not wanting the smell inside. After a quick shower, I flashed over to Sookie's, unsure if she'd even let me in.

As promised, the house was empty except for her. I could hear the television, and I closed my eyes and savored the sound of Sookie's steady heartbeat. If I could still tremble, my fingers would've shook as I cleared my throat and pressed the doorbell. This woman, who was really little more than a girl, reduced me to nervousness, as if I were a boy come to court. The tempo of her heart increased, and the television went silent, and I heard her staccato steps move across the worn wooden boards.

She opened the door and stood just inside the frame, separated from me by mere inches, but the power of her rescinded invitation was an abyss I could not cross. She gasped and blinked, and her heart skipped a beat as she stared as if seeing a ghost. I opened my mouth to speak, to beg her to let me in, to tell her that I loved her, to crush her against me and vow to never let go, but found I was unable to form words. My world was her, this woman standing before me, and I was speechless.

"You're alive," she finally said, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Well, technically no," I corrected. "But I am healed." I thought of my promise to Sam, and internally cringed that there was another secret I had to keep from her. "I fed," I said, simplifying the explanation.

"Would you like to come in?" she asked, a radiant smile on her face.

"Yes."

I stepped across the threshold, and Sookie quickly closed the door behind me. I held her against me as tightly as I dared, and even then, Sookie winced and gasped in pain. She touched my cheek with a tentative finger, and I gently inspected her bruised and broken face.

Without thinking of my own weakness, my fangs snapped into place and I reached for my wrist to heal her.

"No," Sookie insisted, pulling my arm away from my lips.

"Without my blood, it'll take weeks for you to heal."

"I don't care," she stubbornly replied. "After everything, I just need to feel human right now."

I reluctantly nodded, not wanting a fight to spoil our reunion. "I failed you," I finally said.

"You're willing to sacrifice yourself to save me," she gushed.

"If I'd just…" I began.

"Shhh," she interrupted, placing her fingers over my lips. I couldn't help but kiss her warm, sweet flesh. "My life is too short for all that."

I kissed her instead of answering, knowing words could never convey the sentiment of my unbeating heart. I gently sucked her bottom lip and opened her mouth with my tongue, pouring my need and my love into her as I wanted to fill her with my blood. I kissed her broken cheekbone and her black eye. I moved down and placed feather-soft kisses on her bruised neck. I willed the vile fingerprints away as I licked and caressed her tender flesh.

"Bill," she sighed as her fingers tugged my hair. "I'm so sorry, Bill."

"Shhh." It was my turn to stop her foolish words, and she sucked my fingers into her mouth, her tongue swirling against them.

I carefully gathered her into my arms and flashed upstairs, mentally thanking Sam not only for healing me, but also for giving us privacy. Once in her room, I held her against me while I turned back the bed and laid her down.

"I thought you'd died because of me, just like Gran," she sobbed into my chest. "And that was the worst of it, that you'd died, and it was my fault, and our last words were me forcing you out."

"Shhh," I soothed, stroking her hair. "It doesn't matter."

"I've waited my whole life for you, and I thought I'd killed you."

"Sookie, shhh."

"And killed him, Bill," she continued. "I've killed a man."

"You were protecting yourself," I gently reminded her. "If you hadn't, he would've killed you, and he would've killed Sam, and he would've let me die. You did what you had to do."

"I'm a terrible person," she whispered. "I'm a murderer."

"No," I said, pulling her back to look at me. "You did what you had to do." I let her cry against me, stroking her hair and kissing her forehead until her crying was replaced with sniffles and quiet hiccups. "I remember the first man I killed," I finally whispered. "It was the fall of 1862, and we were on patrol. We happened across a group of Federals; they were just as surprised as we were. They were fixing supper, and most had laid their weapons aside."

"What happened?" Sookie whispered.

"I fired my rifle and took one man down, and then I went after the second with my knife."

"Did he hurt you?"

I nodded. "Just a nick. When it was over, we sat down and ate their food. It was the best meal we'd had in months…"

She was quiet then, and I saw the man's face as I slit his throat, heard the strange gurgling sound he made as he went limp, the life draining from his eyes as I watched. I'd found a photograph in his pocket, a clean-shaven version of him with a woman and a small child.

"You did what you had to do," I repeated. She nodded and sighed. "I wish it had been different," I said. "I wish I could've done it for you. Or Sam."

"Then one of y'all would be feeling badly instead of me."

"Exactly."

She shook her head. "I'm not weak. I don't need you to save me."

"I need you to save me," I whispered. "And I don't think that makes me weak."

She turned to me, and her lips were on my eyelids and my cheeks and finally my lips. She sighed into my mouth as her hot tongue teased mine. My gums ached for trying to keep my fangs in place, but they slid down, and she licked one, and then the other.

"Sookie," I whispered. "You're hurt…"

She smiled. "I trust you."

I carefully leaned her back on the pillows, as if she were made of glass. "Just leave it all to me…" She sighed and watched as I leaned back on my heels and pulled my shirt over my head. I made short work of my socks and shoes and shimmied out of my slacks. I tossed them to the floor and turned my attention to her.

Once more, I kissed all along her face and neck, my fingers slowly undoing the buttons of her blouse. She was bare beneath it, and I licked and suckled first one breast, and then the other. When her breath came in gasps and pants, I moved down, dipping my tongue into her belly button as I pulled off her shorts.

I kissed and licked every inch of her – down her legs, the tender flesh behind her knees, her toes. I licked my way back up and parted her thighs, settling my head between them. Her artery pulsed enticingly near my ear, but I wouldn't drink from her. Not tonight.

Her soft folds were slick with her arousal, and I dipped one finger in, and then a second, my tongue rolling and flicking her on the outside while I reached for her spot on the inside. I built her up slowly, tenderly, and when she came, it was with a quiet sigh of contentment, her exquisite taste teasing my tongue and making it difficult to not want more.

Afterwards, she dozed off, her head resting on my chest. I let her sleep for a couple of hours, enjoying the sound of her heartbeat and the warmth of her breath on my skin. When I eased out from under her, I tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and kissed her lightly before covering her with the quilt. She murmured in her sleep and rolled towards the cool indention in the pillow where my head had just been.

Downstairs in the kitchen, I located the food Lafayette had left. It was clam chowder, and no human food could smell worse. I didn't breathe as it heated slowly on the stove. There wasn't much in the refrigerator, and I knew with a pang that Adele must have done most of the shopping. I found a sealed jar of pears in the pantry, and I filled a bowl with bite-sized pieces. I loaded a tray with the fruit, a cup of tea, a glass of ice water, and the soup.

"Sookie," I whispered, setting the tray on the floor as I leaned over to kiss her. "Sookie."

"Hmmm."

"I have your medicines and something to eat."

She opened her eyes and yawned. "Bill!" she exclaimed. "Do you ever wear clothes in the house?" I looked down at my naked body and shrugged, and I carefully held the water glass. She painfully swallowed several mouthfuls. "Oh, that feels good," she said.

"Here," I said, holding the soup bowl and blowing on the first spoonful.

"You're going to feed me?" she asked with a smile.

"Yes." I held the spoon to her lips, and she obediently opened. "Lafayette left this for you."

"It's so good," she purred. "I love his clam chowder." When the soup was gone, I held out her pills, which she dutifully swallowed. "That one makes me sleepy," she said, holding up the smaller of the two pills.

"That's good," I answered as I lifted a bite of the fruit to her lips. "You need your rest."

"I can take care of myself, you know," she said when I handed her the tea.

"I know," I said. "But while I can, I want to make it easier for you."

"While you can?"

"There's only about an hour until dawn." She nodded. "Sam said he'd come after I leave."

She smiled. "I don't need everyone fussing over me." She furrowed her brows and bite into her bottom lip. "Are you okay with him being here?"

"Sookie, I over-reacted the night I returned from the Tribunal. I shouldn't have done what I did. He's your friend, and your employer, and he cares for you very much." She nodded and refused to meet my eyes. "And you care for him, too. I have no desire to separate you from your friends."

"I shouldn't have…" she said, her voice trailing off. "I don't know what I was thinking. I should never have kissed him."

"Do not worry," I said, kissing her lightly. "Would you like me to help you bathe before I leave?"

She blushed. "That would be very nice," she said. "Thank you." I kissed the top of her head and went to start the shower. When it was ready, I came back to her room and picked her up. "Now I see why you're not wearing clothes," she chided. "It's for convenient co-showering."

I rolled my eyes at her as I stepped into the warm spray, supporting her with one arm while I cleaned her with the other. I soaped every inch of her glorious skin, massaging the shampoo and conditioner into her hair. I dried her and combed out her hair and watched as she brushed her teeth. When she was done, I neatly braided her wet hair.

"Where did you learn how to do that?" she asked, watching my hands in the mirror.

"I used to braid my sister's hair, and then my wife's, and then my daughter's, and then…" The image of Lorena's long, dark hair beneath my fingers came to mind, and I shook the thought away.

"And then?" Sookie asked.

"Ready for bed?" I said.

She stared at me for a long moment, confusion in her eyes, and I knew she wanted to know what I was thinking. If she'd asked, I wouldn't have denied her. Not this night. But she simply said, "Are you?"

I nodded. "I need to be leaving, but I'll tuck you in first."

"I wish you could stay."

"I wish so too," I said. "Would you like to rest at my house today?"

She shook her head. "I'm going to have a bunch of people in and out. You don't want them in your house."

"I do if that's what you want."

"But it's not safe," she said.

I smiled. "No one else knows where I rest," I reminded her. "They wouldn't have to know I was there."

"You could always make a resting place here, you know." I smiled at her, not sure how to respond. "It might be a good idea for a back-up, just in case, you know. And then, if you stayed the night..."

"Sookie, you never cease to amaze me."

"You'll come back as soon as you can?"

"Of course." Sookie yawned, wincing as her swollen jaw stretched. "Sam will be after me for keeping you up all night."

"Whatever," she muttered as I pulled a soft gown over her head. "Goodnight, Bill," she whispered, kissing me.

"Goodnight."

As always, walking away from her was the hardest part of my night. I locked the door behind me and flashed across the cemetery. After Sookie's warm arms, my house seemed even more empty than usual. I settled back onto the hard ground and dialed Sam. "She's all yours," I told him. I quickly pulled up the contact information for the new Whole Foods in Shreveport, and I emailed my order, happy to pay the extra money for delivery. She wouldn't let me feed her my blood, but I could still feed her.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: In case anyone's fact-checking, there isn't a Whole Foods in Shreveport. The closest one to Bon Temps (if Bon Temps existed in our universe) is in Baton Rouge, but that's just too far for groceries.

I wrote Sophie-Ann, Andre, and Hadley in _Waking the Dead_ before they appeared (or didn't, as in Andre's case) on True Blood in S2, and I'm choosing to keep them as I wrote them, not as Mr. Ball and the writers wrote them (or didn't).

There are potentially spoilers if you haven't read all the books or seen S2.

* * *

Chapter Two

A voicemail from Sam waited when I rose: "I wanted to catch you before you headed over," his message said. "Just to warn you, she's way over being a patient. I forced a pain pill into her about an hour ago, so she should be sleeping, but she's not wanting to take them. Call if you need anything. Oh, and your delivery arrived. I put the stuff that needed it in the fridge, and the rest I left in sacks. She wasn't happy about it..."

I smiled and shook my head, bemused by my budding, if odd and grudging, friendship with Sam. I didn't want to talk to Andre, but had to assume the palace knew about the fiasco, so I sent a brief text: "All is well." I snapped my phone shut and hoped that would be enough to keep him from investigating further. I quickly changed clothes and flashed across the cemetery, and I let myself in with the key Sookie gave me. I heard her quiet, even breathing, and I knew that she was sleeping. As much as I wanted to crawl into bed with her, I set about cooking instead.

The organic, free-range chicken was in the refrigerator, and I immediately prepped it for roasting. I zested the lemon and chopped the organic thyme, using my childhood memories of watching Rebecca cook on Sunday afternoons for the recipe. I left out the garlic cloves, but it was otherwise the same. After it was in the oven, I choked down a TruBlood while I washed and sorted berries, measuring and freezing portions for smoothies.

When the chicken was done, I cut the meat from the bone and set the carcass and skin to boil on the stove. I chopped vegetables and was just adding the cooked chicken to the pot when I heard a knock at the backdoor. I hadn't heard a car, and there was no heartbeat or breathing coming from outside.

"Eric," I said, standing inside the threshold.

"Bill, if you're going to make staking your acquaintances with human food and beverage implements a habit, I'm taking you off speed dial." He nodded towards the wooden spoon still in my head, and I immediately let it clatter to the floor. "It's not sharp enough to be an efficient weapon, but still." He beamed at me and inhaled deeply. "That smells surprisingly good – I didn't realize you cooked."

"I'm a man of many talents."

Eric laughed. "Now that I did know. Am I invited to dinner?"

"No."

Eric clucked his tongue and shook his head. "Unpardonably rude. Are you at least going to invite me in?"

"Not my house," I replied.

"No," he agreed. "If it were, I could just enter as I pleased. But somehow I knew I would find you here. I would've called first, but you wouldn't have answered your phone anyway, so I thought we'd just skip that step, when you insult your superior..."

"And just focus on the part when you irritate me?" I interrupted. He threw his back and laughed, and I listened carefully to the sounds of Sookie upstairs, hoping he hadn't woken her. "I'm rather busy at the moment. Is there some kind of problem that requires my attention?"

"I just heard about the near-death of our favorite telepath, and I wanted to stop by and check on her recovery."

"How considerate," I said.

"Bon Temps is beginning to grow on me," he continued. "Quite a homey feel to it, really, for such a dumpy little town… Maybe I should franchise Fangtasia – what do you think?"

"What do you want?" I asked.

"Bill, it doesn't have to be this way."

"You're the one who said it did, while you were lounging in my bathtub, no less."

"I don't recall that," he said as he pretended to think, a twinkle in his eyes. "Although it does sound like something I might do."

"You set me up in an attempt to take her from me."

Eric waved his hand dismissively. "That's a matter of interpretation."

"You had me before the Magister. I'm a Maker because of you…"

"A Maker who's abandoned his Child for his pet, I might add. Have you told Sookie about your girl? Is she excited about being a mommy? Or step-mommy, as they say now. What is it called? A blended family?"

"Eric," I warned. "For the love of all that is…"

"That's it, Bill," he interrupted, calmly nodding his head. "Let it all out. Those human advice columns Pam is so fond of always recommend venting." He leaned against the porch rail.

I immediately stopped speaking, and we both pointedly didn't look at each other for a long, awkward moment.

He finally looked at me once more, all traces of teasing gone from his eyes. "For what it's worth, I didn't know he was going to do that. I truly didn't."

"You just thought he'd bury me in silver and let me rot for five years," I practically spit at him.

"A punishment you yourself preferred," Eric said. "And with good reason." He shook his head. "I've never known of forcing a Child on someone. He's a sadistic fuck. Although the punishment is oddly perfect for you, if overly cruel."

"How so?" I sighed.

"You've spent your undead life trying to suppress, ignore, or otherwise disavow your vampire nature. To force you to deal with a newborn is to force you deal with yourself."

"Thank you, Sigmund Freud."

He grinned at me. "The girl wouldn't have been my first choice, and I'm afraid you're stuck with her. Maybe, given time, she'll settle down…" He shrugged his shoulders. "The real down-side is that now you won't be able to turn Sookie, not without an appeal."

I sighed. "I told you before – I'm not turning her."

"Whatever you have to tell yourself, Bill," he said. "I'm just not familiar with a Maker-Child situation when the Child hasn't been chosen for some particular reason, and it's just not in you stake Jessica…"

"Certainly not," I interjected.

"No one else could do it, not without retribution. She can stay with me for the time being, but if Pam comes close to ending her, which will happen sooner rather than later at the rate they're going, I'm bringing her back. I'll not risk Pam, not for anyone."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," I sighed.

"You might want to rethink pawning her off, you know. To be newborn with a Maker who doesn't want you?" He shook his head.

"Is that all?" I asked.

"It was a shit punishment," Eric said. "For both of you, really. I still haven't figured out who Jessica was. Knowing the Magister, she wasn't just a random girl. We should probably find out. Burial in silver, while painful at the time, at least would've allowed for an appeal. You know I wouldn't have let it go on for five years. It was really excessive given the situation, and I would've healed you when it was over."

"Thank you for that particular consolation," I sneered.

"I would've guarded her during your absence, you know. Probably would've done a better job, too."

I hissed, my fangs sliding down.

"Bill," Eric said, not having flinched at my outburst. "If you keep getting fangy every time we speak, people will think I jilted you." I retracted my fangs and didn't speak, and we stood in another awkward silence. "How is she?" he finally asked.

"Recovering," I said.

"That was just one crazed human who wanted her," he said, his stormy eyes serious as they bore into me. "And you were unable to keep her safe. What will you do, Bill, when they realize what she is and come for her?"

"I'll deal with it," I snarled. "_If_ that time ever comes."

"It will," he said. "Mark my words." He sighed and stared up into the cloudy night sky. "Despite your tedious penchant for melancholy, I don't relish your demise," he finally said.

"You've been quite clear about your opinion," I replied.

"I obviously have not," he mused. "But the lengths you've gone for her…" he continued. "You're cooking, of all things, like a common hired-hand."

"I've done much worse for her," I said, thinking of Jessica somewhere in Shreveport and my charred body smoldering in the grass. Eric didn't know about that, and I certainly wasn't going to tell him because I'd never hear the end of it. "And I'd do it again if that is what's required of me."

"Of course you would," he said, and his voice was oddly soft and sad. "Well," he continued in his usual mocking tone. "Please give my regards to Miss Stackhouse." He pulled a bouquet of exotic-looking flowers from behind his back. I didn't recognize the type. The cluster was tied together with a red ribbon, and each one bore an uncanny resemblance to a woman's private parts. "What?" Eric innocently asked as I glared at him. "You're supposed to bring flowers as a token of well-wishes when someone is injured, are you not?"

"They're obscene," I muttered.

"Bill," he scolded. "All that synthetic blood is obviously getting to you… As if I would attempt to seduce your human, right under your nose no less. How can you think so little of me?"

"Yes, because I'm sure the florist was all out of roses."

He snorted. "No wonder you're attempting to woo her with food – roses are such a cliché. I pictured you as more original, Bill. Frankly, I'm a tad disappointed."

I sighed. "As I mentioned before, I'm rather busy at the moment, if that's all, I'm sure we'll be in touch."

He held out the flowers, holding them just outside the invisible barrier that would prevent them from crossing into the house. "If you don't give me your word that you'll give them to her and pass along my message, I'll wait on her front porch until she wakes up and give them to her and express my warm wishes for a speedy recovery myself." I snatched the flowers from his hand.

"See," he said. "That wasn't so difficult, was it? Do I have your word?" I nodded. "Excellent. Now, as much as I would love to stay and chat, I am a busy man. Businesses to run, adoring fans to frighten, people to torture, blood to suck…"

"Always a pleasure, Eric," I said, rolling my eyes.

"The pleasure is mine, Bill." He stepped out into the yard and blew me a kiss. "Toodles," he said, waving his fingers at me before shooting up into the night sky. It was humid and cloudy, and although it was juvenile, I fervently wished for rain.

I'd just tossed the offensive flowers onto the kitchen table when I heard Sookie waking up. I flashed up the back steps and crawled into her bed, spooning up next to her.

"You're here," she murmured, snuggling into my arms with her eyes still closed. "What time is it?"

"Nearly one o'clock," I said. I gently kissed her shoulder, her neck, her ear.

"Bill!" She shrugged me away and angrily rubbed her eyes. "Why did you let me sleep half the night? I told Sam I didn't want that darn pill…"

"You need your rest. Sam was right to insist."

"Don't you start," she huffed.

"Start what?" I said as I rubbed her back. She held herself rigidly. "Sookie, please tell me. What's wrong?"

She turned to face me. "Bill, I'm fine. I really am. I don't need you or Sam or anyone else fussing as if I'm a broken china doll." She shook her head. "Yesterday, I nearly chopped off my brother's best friend's head with a shovel. I don't think I qualify for Damsel in Distress of the Year."

"Sookie," I soothed, pulling her back into my embrace. "I do not think of you as distressed. I cannot speak for Sam, but I'm sure he doesn't either. We're just trying…"

"To handle me," she interrupted. "To mother-hen me to death. To kill me with kindness. Please don't. Please."

"Alright," I agreed, kissing her. "I promise I will wake you up sooner tomorrow evening."

"You needn't make that promise. I'm going to work tomorrow."

"What?" I pulled away and propped myself up on my elbow. "Sam's agreed to this? You can't go back to work so quickly. Sookie, you have two cracked ribs, your cheekbone is fractured…"

"Sam needs me," she said. "We're already short-handed, and I'm sure Arlene isn't doing much good, upset as she is."

"But Sookie…"

"She was going to marry him," she argued, as if that somehow negated the fact that she'd nearly been killed. "She loved him. She has every right to be feeling terrible at the moment. Besides," she continued. "I need the money. I have bills to pay and…"

"How much do you make in a week?" I asked.

"Bill!"

"I apologize for being insensitive," I quickly said. "But I'll double it. I'll triple it. Just take the week off. Let's go away somewhere." Sookie grew very still and silent, so I continued. "I know a great place in Hawaii. An old acquaintance of mine actually owns the whole little island. Totally private. You can bake in the sun all day, and we can swim in the moonlight. The water there is so warm and so beautiful…"

"I don't know who you think you're speaking to," Sookie interrupted in a quiet, steady voice. "But I am not your whore, Bill Compton."

"Sookie!"

"That's what people do for whores – pay them off and give them expensive gifts and trips for… services and… fluids… and…"

"Sookie, no!" I insisted. "That's not what I meant at all! I just thought… It's been a difficult couple of weeks for you, and I just thought you'd enjoy… Sookie…" I didn't understand how she could be so far off my intentions, and I wished I spent more time reading Pam's favorite advice columns.

"Sweetheart, please listen to me," I pled. "I promise you I did not mean it like that. I am not paying you. I am simply trying to help, which is what two people do when they share a life – they help each other."

"That's what married people do, Bill. We are not married." The vision of Sookie in the ivory gown, walking towards me in the candle-lit church, nearly made me weep in frustration. "Besides," she continued. "If we're meant to help each other, what have I done for you?"

"You've saved me," I solemnly told her. I felt her anger abate. "You risked your own life for me. You welcomed me into your home. You freely gave yourself to me… You are mine, and I am yours. I will gladly share everything I have with you."

"I don't need all of that," she sighed, snuggling back up to me. "I can take care of myself."

"I know you can," I assured her. "But I would like to help…"

"No," she interrupted. "Stop right there. Don't finish the thought. The answer is no. No, no, and no. No Hawaiian islands."

"You would like Hawaii," I whispered, running my hand up her thigh. "We'd be completely alone, so no humans to block out. I would very much like you in Hawaii…"

"Nope." She swatted me away. "I'm going to work. I'm needed, and I will pay my own way. Besides, how do I know your money hasn't been gotten illegally? What do you do, Bill? I've never seen you work."

"I'm Bon Temps' resident vampire," I said.

"That can't pay very well…"

I sighed. "You really want to know?" She nodded. "One of the advantages of immortality is compound interest, Sookie. I live off of my investments."

"What kind of investments?"

I shrugged. "I'm well-diversified. Stocks and bonds, of course. Real-estate. It's all fairly boring stuff. I occasionally do work for other vampires."

"What kind of work?"

"Not _that_ kind," I teased. She giggled. "I'm good with computers, and not all vampires have kept current with technology." She nodded. "I've done security systems and computer programs for businesses, that sort of thing. Plus, I really don't have a lot of expenses. I've never lived a lavish life-style, and I don't spend a lot. So you see – it's all respectable money. You could have some and still be a well-bred southern lady."

"Never," she whispered.

"I'm a patient man," I countered.

"I'm more stubborn than you are patient," she said. She smiled victoriously and sniffed delicately. "What's that?"

"I fixed you dinner," I said.

"That reminds me, mister."

"Mister?"

"Why did Whole Foods in Shreveport make a delivery at my house this afternoon?"

"I don't own a refrigerator," I honestly said. "So, if I had it delivered to my house, it would've spoiled."

"You don't eat."

"Oh, I plan on eating it," I whispered into her neck. "Every last bite, just indirectly, of course." I licked her jugular, and feeling it pulse beneath my tongue immediately made me harden, so I reluctantly shifted my hips away from her.

She swatted me playfully. "Exactly how much does it cost to have a bunch of organic food delivered from Shreveport?"

"That's not your concern."

"How is it not my concern?"

"Because you didn't pay," I said, pointing out the obvious.

"Exactly," she said, pulling away from me again and sitting up. "I didn't pay. You can't be buying things like that for me, Bill."

"I just told you, it's purely selfish. I do, in fact, plan on eating it all."

She rolled her eyes. "That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard."

"How is that dumb?" I asked, sitting up myself. "My sustenance depends on your diet – that would make what you eat very much my responsibility."

She threw back the covers and leapt from the bed. "You make me sound like a prize-pig you're raising for 4-H. Augh! I don't need your charity."

"Sookie," I said, flashing to her side. "We just went through this. I didn't mean it like that… And while I have no idea what 4-H is, I assure you, you are nothing like a pig. But you are a prize…" I nuzzled into her neck once more, my tongue flicking the edge of her ear. "Shall I buy you a big, blue ribbon to wear?"

She shuddered, and I smelled her arousal as she turned to me. "I think the ribbon would look better on you. Just a ribbon, mind you. It'd bring out your eyes." She had a wicked gleam in her eyes, and it was extremely difficult to pull away from her.

"Come on," I said, raising her hand to my lips and kissing each of her fingers. I tried to ignore the frustrated look on her face. "Let's get you some dinner so we can enjoy what's left of the evening."

"You really shouldn't have let me sleep for so long," she scolded as we walked downstairs. "Oh Bill!" she exclaimed in the kitchen. "That smells wonderful. I didn't know you cooked."

"Well," I confessed. "It has been a while. But I remember how." I pulled out her chair, and she smiled at me as she slid into it.

"How long?"

"Since what?"

"Since you cooked?"

"My last meal was the night I was turned," I quietly said, my back to her as I ladled the steaming chicken and rice into a bowl. "But I didn't cook it."

She leaned over the bowl and inhaled deeply. "What was it? Do you mind my asking?" I shook my head and watched as she carefully blew on the first spoonful before slurping it into her mouth. "Oh," she said, closing her eyes. "This is even better than Gran's. Did you use her recipe?"

"No," I said as I poured her a large glass of milk. "Rebecca's. I roasted the chicken first, so there are some breast slices in the refrigerator for sandwiches or salads."

"Rebecca again," she said, giving me a knowing look. "I think you must've been in love with her."

"Of course I loved her," I said. "She took care of me, and my brother and sister. She practically raised us. She helped care for my wife and my children. She was a part of my family."

"No," Sookie said, shaking her head. "In love with her."

"Sookie, that's absurd."

Sookie knowingly nodded. "Alright. But do you remember what you last ate?" She shook her head. "Of course you remember. You remember everything..."

"Pork," I whispered, remembering Lorena's cabin in the woods.

"Pork?"

I nodded. "I hadn't eaten fresh meat in over two years. It was still sizzling from the fire, and I bit into it, knowing I would burn my tongue, because I was so hungry and it smelled so delicious. I couldn't believe my good fortune…" Sookie silently ate another spoonful, watching me. "And bread. Fresh bread…"

"You hadn't had bread, either?"

I shook my head. "In the end, no one had anything. The civilians didn't have anything for us to steal anymore, either. And if we did happen upon someone with supplies, I could only see my family at home in their faces, and I wouldn't eat anything that'd been taken. I'd eaten nothing but moldy hardtack for weeks before that meal. I should've immediately suspected…"

"What was your favorite food?" she asked, and I gratefully allowed her to change the subject.

"I went with my family to New Orleans once," I said, smiling at the memory. "We stayed in a hotel. There was the most wonderful candy shop just down the street. I adored pralines. I think I must've eaten my own weight in them."

She smiled. "Gran used to make really good pralines at Christmas time. Her pecan pie was almost like a praline on the inside, too." She scraped the bowl and ate the last spoonful. "I assumed food was unpleasant for you."

"A lot of it is. It depends. Some things still smell appealing, though."

"Like what?" she asked.

"Sweet smells," I said. "Like chocolate. Pralines still smell good. A lot of desserts are appealing. Fruits like strawberries and pineapple."

"Lemons?" she asked, indicating the pot on the stove and the lemony chicken-smell from within.

I nodded. "When I was traveling in Asia, I loved the smell of lemongrass," I said. "Jasmine rice, too…"

"What else?"

"Pastry," I said. "I enjoy the smell of fresh bread. And coffee. I loved coffee when I was human, and it still smells wonderful. Some teas do, as well."

"What's the worst?"

"The clam chowder you ate last night," I answered quickly.

"Really?" she asked, blushing.

"Well, it wasn't good… But no," I reassured her. "I suppose it wasn't the worst. Greasy smells are unappealing. A lot of food here, actually, smells quite repulsive. It's all the garlic."

"Louisiana's known for its excellent food," she defended.

"And I'm sure, to humans, that it's wonderful. To vampires, a lot of the aromas leave something to be desired." I nodded towards the empty bowl. "May I get you some more?"

"Maybe just a little bit," she said. "It was so good." I ladled a bit more and refilled her milk. "Wait a minute," she exclaimed. "You brought flowers, too?"

"Um," I said, not sure how to bring up Eric.

She put them into a vase and set them back on the table. She tilted her head and furrowed her brow as she examined them. "You didn't buy these," she said. It wasn't a question.

"Eric stopped by why you were sleeping," I explained.

"Did you invite him in?"

"Of course not," I said. "Even if I had wanted to, I couldn't. This isn't my home. But I would never do something like that without your permission." She nodded. "He asked me to tell you that he wishes you a swift recovery."

She frowned. "These flowers are kind-of…" her voice trailed off. "Naughty."

I smiled. "I'm fairly certain that was his intention."

"I didn't even know there were naughty-flowers. Do you know what they're called?"

"I do not," I admitted. "I'll look it up for you."

She shrugged. "It really doesn't matter." She finished the last bite of the food and leaned back in her chair. "That was so tasty, Bill. But speaking of Eric, what happened at the thing? I can't believe I didn't ask you last night!" She leaned over the table and took my hand. "He called it a Tribunal. That sounds really serious."

I smiled in what I hoped was a convincing way and pushed back from the table. "Oh, you know… This and that." I started the water in the kitchen sink and set about tidying up. "I told you not to worry about it."

"Then why were you gone? Why didn't you call me?"

"I was out in the country," I lied. "No signal. And I knew I'd be back in a couple of days. Vampires just set a lot of store by tradition, another side-effect of immortality, I suppose. There's a ceremony for everything – lots of ceremonies."

"Hmmm," she said, her head tilted to one side as she studied me. She plucked the flowers from the vase and tossed them unceremoniously into the trashcan. I stood at the kitchen sink, and she slid her dishes to the warm suds. "I didn't realize this would be a full-service dinner," she teased as she stuck her hands into my front pockets. Her fingers crept down, and I could feel her heat through the thin material as she reached towards me.

"Sookie," I gasped, leaning back away from her hands. The movement pressed my butt into her hips, and she ground up against me. "We can't."

"Shhh," she whispered as she licked my earlobe.

"Sookie," I said more firmly.

"Shut up and kiss me," she demanded.

"Let me heal you," I countered.

"Kiss me first, and then we'll discuss it," she said as she nipped the tender flesh behind my ear.

"That's cheating," I said.

She giggled and nodded, her lips vibrating deliciously against my neck. I turned from the sink and buried my soapy hands in her hair, pulling her to me as she squealed.

"You're wet!"

I inched one hand, warmed from the water, up the opening of her shorts and stroked her damp panties. "So are you," I rumbled into her neck. I flicked her pulsing clitoris, and she moaned and writhed against me. Her fingers were trembling as they unbuttoned my shirt, popping off the bottom two buttons in her haste. When she moved to my belt, I stepped away.

"Sookie, stop."

"Augh!" she groaned. "You are trying to kill me…"

"Just let me take care of you, alright? You're injured. I don't want to make it worse."

"You standing there not doing anything makes it worse," she pouted. "You're not going to break me."

I held up my hands. "Please, just listen to me." She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. "Let me give you some blood. Not a lot, I promise. Just a little. Just to take off the edge. And then, whatever you want…"

"I don't want your blood!" she snapped. "I killed a man, Bill. Can you understand that? Does that even matter to you? I chopped a shovel into his neck. As if he were a bit a dirt in the yard instead of a person. A man I knew. I thought of him as a friend, for the love! I want to feel shitty. I want to hurt and be reminded every waking moment that I did that. I did it. I don't want to magic it away. I want to feel it."

"Sweetheart," I said, pulling her into my arms. She resisted at first, pounding her fists against my chest as she fought me, but I continued to hold her. After a moment, she melted into me, digging her fingers into my arms as she clung to me and wept. "That's it," I soothed. "Let it all out." I hated that I was quoting Eric's advice at her, but he did seem to have a point about not holding bad feelings inside.

She was still crying when I scooped her into my arms and carried her upstairs. I held her against me as I ran the shower. I only put her down to undress us, and I repeated the ritual from the previous night, soaping and shampooing her, and then drying her and combing out her hair. I had her tucked back into bed in a clean nightgown when she finally seemed to have cried herself out, her body shuddering against me as I held her.

"I'm sorry, Bill," she finally whispered.

"Why are you sorry?"

"I was trying to seduce you, and I ended up weeping instead. I think I failed rather miserably. I'm a terrible girlfriend."

I kissed the top of her head and tightened my arms around her. "You're perfect."

"There's been so much death," she whispered. "So many people have died… Gran, the vampire you killed at the bar, Maudette Pickens, Dawn, my brother's Amy, Rene… The only time I forget is when I'm with you. I can't sit here all alone all day thinking about it. Do you understand?" I nodded. "And do you understand why I don't want your blood?" I nodded again. "Will you kiss me?" she whispered.

"Sookie," I started.

"Please."

I sighed. "You have no idea how difficult it is to resist you," I said.

"Then don't. Don't resist."

"It's been so long since we've… been together. And you are so unbelievably enticing."

"Do vampires have to have sex?" she asked.

"Blood lust and… other lusts… go hand-in-hand."

She nodded. "Then why won't you?"

"It'd be so easy for me to hurt you, and you've been hurt enough. And I don't want to take your blood, not until you're stronger. You need all your blood to heal."

She sighed. "You suck." She giggled, and I thought of Jessica, who'd said the same words to me. "Actually, it sucks that you're not sucking."

"There are other things I can do," I offered, my hand once again moving up her thigh.

"Do I just have to lay here like a lump?"

"Well," I said as I slipped the gown over her head. "You can make those wonderful noises of contentment so I know I'm doing an acceptable job."

She laughed as I spread her legs and nuzzled against her warm thighs. "I think what you do is a bit more than acceptable," she said. "But maybe I need some proof."

"Proof?" I asked, my tongue teasing her swollen lips.

"Yes," she gasped. "Prove it."

I growled at her challenge, lifting her hips to allow for better access. My tongue continued its dance, making long, slow licks. I blew cool air over her wet skin, and she shivered and shuddered. My thumb lazily traced circles on the outside while I reached inside with my tongue as far as I could, careful not to nick her with my fangs.

She writhed beneath me, her hands clutching my wet hair and pulling it sharply. I was so hard that I hurt, and my naked skin rubbed against her bedding, making the situation even more uncomfortable.

I replaced my tongue with two fingers, my tongue working on the outside. I carefully spread her wetness down, and I teased her other entrance with a third finger. For the briefest of moments, when she felt me, she tensed. But I was slow and gentle, circling the delicate rim until she relaxed once again, her heartbeat pounding loudly in my ear.

I slowly worked her into a frenzy, sensing when she was getting close and backing off, only to build her up again and back off again. I waited until she was moaning and begging, her legs beginning to tremble with effort, and then I nipped gently on her clitoris while inserting the finger into her. She screamed when she came, and I licked the flood of fluids from her lips, gently thrusting inside until her internal muscles stopped their contractions.

She layed back on the pillow, her cheeks flushed, breathing heavily through her mouth. I leaned back on my heels at the end of her bed. "Sookie," I said, my tone quiet but firm. Her eyes opened, and she smiled at me through her lashes. "Watch."

Using the hand still wet with her scent, I stroked myself while she watched. Her eyes widened, and she sat up, leaning towards me.

"No," I demanded. "Don't move." She stopped and slumped back to the pillow. "Watch."

With her eyes on me, the room filled with the smell of her damp arousal, it didn't take long for me to come. With my eyes on her, I released into my hand, and as she watched, she trembled with another orgasm of her own. I smiled at her before flashing to the bathroom. I quickly cleaned myself and wet a cloth for her. After I had her cleaned and gowned and tucked back into bed, I spooned up against her once more.

"That was hot," she whispered.

"Would you like a pill?" I asked her. She shook her head. "Are you sure?" She nodded.

"How long until dawn?"

"About an hour," I said.

She yawned and snuggled even closer to me. "I hate to waste more of our night by sleeping."

"I'll stay here for as long as I can," I promised. "You go ahead and sleep. We have tomorrow night, and the night after that. We have all the time in the world…"

"You're too good for me," she whispered, kissing my fingers as she entwined them with her own. "But I like it."

I smiled. "I disagree with your first point, but I like it too."


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: There are potential spoilers if you haven't read all the books or seen True Blood. As always, I don't own the rights to any of this; I'm just playing around. If you're waiting for a _Waking the Dead_ update… Um… Yeah… It's coming – I promise. Promise, promise. Please be patient with me.

* * *

Chapter Three

"'Evenin', Merlotte's," Sam said into the phone.

"Good evening, Sam. This is Bill Compton."

He noisily sighed and the office chair squeaked as he leaned forward. I watched through the window as he ran his hand through his hair. "Look Bill, I know we've called some kind of truce or whatever, but I'm busy."

"Actually, you've been sitting in your office, staring at the wall, for the seven minutes I've been standing in the parking lot." He tilted towards the window, and I waved. "I just need a few minutes of your time. I promise that you'll enjoy it."

"I doubt that," he muttered as he hung up the phone. I listened as he made his excuses to Tara, who was behind the bar, and came out the back door.

"Sam," I nodded.

"This better be good."

"Take a walk with me." Before he could answer, I moved at a swift human pace through the trees, towards the lake where Sookie had first had my blood. When I got to the tree she had leaned against while she healed, I stripped off my shirt and dropped it to the ground.

"What the hell?" Sam asked. I handed him the small aluminum bottle that was meant to spray olive oil. He sniffed it, and then he looked puzzled. "What are you doing?"

"It's concentrated garlic oil," I explained.

"That I can smell," he said.

"I had it sent from Whole Foods," I said. "My plan, if it does what I think it's going to do, is to mix it with Mace. The pepper-spray would work on a were or shifter or human, and the garlic will, I think, at least momentarily distract a vampire. It wouldn't be fatal, but it might make enough of a diversion for Sookie to either get away or think of something else."

He nodded. "You know, you might want to think about adding liquid iron. They sell it at health stores with vitamins and supplements. Sook doesn't know about the Fae, and I don't know why one would bother her, but that way all your bases are covered. She doesn't have to know it's in there or why."

"It's a good idea," I grudgingly admitted, sorry I hadn't thought of it myself and trying not to think about him referring to my Sookie by an affectionate nickname. "Here," I said, holding out the plastic stake.

"It's plastic," he said.

"I thought I'd not tempt you too much."

Sam smiled. "What's the plan?"

"I'm going to attack you, and you're going to try and stop me."

"Seems simple…" he began. I flashed off through the trees and heard him finish with "enough." He turned around several times and tensed, sniffing the air carefully. "Dammit," he muttered, and I smiled when I knew he'd lost me.

I circled around, moving silently through the trees, focusing on the steady thump of his heart and his measured breathing. I had a growing respect for Sam, and I'd vowed I would never hurt anyone, especially not someone I knew, without provocation, but I couldn't help but let myself go. Even knowing this was only a game, this was what I was built for. Every instinct in my unbeating heart was made for the hunt, and it felt good to give into it.

When his back was turned, I flashed towards him, fangs bared. Before he could react, I had his arms pinned behind his back and my fangs pressed gently against his throat.

"Well goddamn," he spit as I released him. He shook, as if the memory of my touch lingered on his skin. "Again."

I nodded and once again vanished into the trees. As I stalked him silently, I felt my blood respond and my pants became increasingly uncomfortable. I was entirely too aroused to be near Sookie, but I shook the thought of her away as I reconsidered my target. As I calculated the best way to attack, I realized Sam was more prepared this time. He held the bottle up and ready, his finger on the top. This really wasn't realistic, as Sookie probably wouldn't know she was about to be attacked, and Sam could move more quickly than she.

I waited again until he was turned away from me before leaping, coming at him from above. He managed to spray into the air near me before I had him contained.

"Oh," I said, waving the air away from my face and picking him up to move us both away from the mist. "That's awful."

"It doesn't smell all that great to me, either," Sam added, wrinkling his nose and glaring at me, I assumed for physically manipulating him.

"An indirect hit will probably just anger whoever's attacking," I said, ignoring his animosity. "Try again, and this time, see if you can spray me directly."

"Why hadn't I thought of that?" Sam muttered and rolled his eyes as I vanished for the third time.

This time, even though I waited and my attack came from yet another direction, at the last second, he sensed me and pivoted. A human wouldn't move that quickly, a human probably wouldn't have known that I was nearly upon him, but Sam wasn't human. He sprayed me directly in the face with the oil just as I was about to lunge at his throat for the third time.

"Fuck," burst out before I could stop myself. Even though I'd been expecting it, the oil burned my skin and my eyes. The inside of my nose felt aflame with the offensive scent, and before I could react, Sam had the stake tip pressed gently into my bare chest.

"Dead," he stated dryly.

I nodded, and then immediately dunked my head into the lake. I inhaled deeply through my nose and blinked many times before I felt the effects wear off.

Sam was laughing when I resurfaced, snorting and spitting out the water I'd ingested. I glared at him as I shook the water from my hair. My nose still burned slightly, but the one advantage I hadn't planned on was that the garlic had killed the fire in my blood.

"Well, you were right," he said. "That was enjoyable. But I think we should try again. Sookie won't move that quickly. I'll do it more slowly this time."

"That won't be necessary," I said as I pulled my shirt on, glad it wasn't contaminated with the smell of garlic. "We get the idea. How did you know I was coming?"

Sam tapped his nose. "It wasn't fair, really. There's no way a human would've been that ready. But you know," he added, his eyes serious as he turned the sprayer in his hands. "It's absurdly simple. Anyone could pick this up at the grocery store. I'm surprised no one has thought of it."

"Inevitably, someone will," I said. "But in the meantime, let's keep it to ourselves." Sam nodded and handed the bottle back to me. "No," I said. "Keep that at the bar until I make up the smaller ones. I'm not anticipating any problems, not anymore, but just in case."

"Were they your friends?" Sam quietly asked. "The vampires who were killed in the fire?"

I nodded. "Not Liam, the young one. I didn't know him. But I'd known Malcolm and Diane for many years. I'm not sure I would use the word friend, but yes, I knew them."

"I can't say that I'm sorry they're gone, not after what they did," Sam began.

I held up my hand to stop him. "I know," I interrupted. "I'd warned them before, that provocation would lead to trouble. I don't hold you responsible. You have every right to defend your property and your… employees…"

There was an awkward silence between us for several moments. "I am sorry if you miss them…" Sam finally said.

I shrugged. "It was complicated." I started walking back towards the bar, ready for our conversation to conclude.

Sam snorted. "Vampires make everything complicated." I didn't respond. "You know I'd protect her with my own life," he finally said as we neared the bar.

"I know that."

"Speaking of lives, you haven't drained my cook and hidden the body, have you?"

"Excuse me?"

"Lafayette's missing," Sam sighed. "He's left without word before, but not in a while. Even Tara doesn't know where he's gone. She confided that he's…" Sam glanced at me out of the corner of his eye, and I waited for him to finish. "Well, he might be into things he ought to not be into."

"Not the best time for you to lose another employee," I said, not commenting on the obvious fact that Sam was keeping vital information from me.

"You're telling me…" Sam ran his hand through his hair again. "Keep your ears open, if you don't mind? Let me know if you hear anything?"

"Such as?"

"Like maybe he didn't leave of his own accord? Maybe he's being held somewhere?"

I nodded. "While we're being so honest, may I ask why you are allowing Sookie to work when she's still injured?" I asked.

"Listen here," he said, turning towards me. "That was not my idea, and it is not my fault that she's hurt."

I nodded at his implied accusation. "I blame myself," I said. "But just to warn you, if I can convince her to, she'll be quitting."

Sam smiled. "Good luck with that."

Just then, my phone rang. "Hello," I said.

"Hey you," Sookie said. Sam growled at the sound of her voice. "I'm about to get off. I don't know where Sam got to, but as soon as he's back and I let him know, I'm going to be leaving."

Sam shook his head at me, and I nodded my understanding. "Would you like me to meet you at the bar?" I asked Sookie, deliberately not telling her I was already there or that Sam was with me.

"No," she said. "Now that… Well, now that's all over, I can get home just fine on my own."

"I don't mind," I said. Sam and I stood just outside the circle of light in the parking lot.

"No," she repeated. "I have something I need to do right quick, and then I'll come over to your house, if that's alright?"

"Of course, sweetheart," I said. "I'll be waiting." I flipped the phone closed and slipped it back into my pocket.

Sam glared at me and his grip on the spray bottle tightened. I readied myself to flee in case he decided to spray it again. "You don't deserve her," he said.

I nodded. "I still realize that."

"Asshole," he muttered as he walked back towards the bar, and although it wasn't kind, I couldn't help but smile at him.

Sookie was waiting for him, and I listened when she told him goodnight. It was my turn to growl when he pulled her into a hug.

"Are you sure you're ready for all this? Was it too much?" he quietly asked.

"Sam, I told you before, I need this."

"You were wincing earlier."

"I've felt better," she admitted. "But not being here would make me feel even worse. Besides, we're short one waitress and now Lafayette. You need me."

Sam didn't answer, but I watched him watch her through the window as she walked out the back and got into her car. I ran along side, keeping out of sight, as she drove off, but she just went the few miles down the road and to her house. I listened carefully to the inside of her house, but all was quiet as she unlocked the door and turned on the lights. She hummed quietly to herself as she went upstairs, and I heard the water running in the bathroom before I walked across the cemetery to my house.

After I'd showered and changed clothes, I wandered aimlessly around the downstairs, waiting for her. My fingers lightly tapped my laptop; I hadn't worked in weeks, but I felt unmotivated. The spines of my books were like old friends waiting on the shelves, but I didn't want to read, either. I'd never experienced the boredom or ennui that plagued so many of my kind. There was always something new to learn, music to experience, or language to unlock, but since I'd met Sookie, my life felt purposeless when she wasn't with me. I didn't relish the sensation, and part of me wanted to prove it wrong by being productive in her absence, but in the end, I didn't feel like fighting myself.

I sat down at the piano and closed my eyes, my fingers effortlessly moving across the keys. The melody that emerged was melancholic, full of confusion and tenderness and longing and unfulfilled desires. The time passed quickly until I heard Sookie's steps on the porch, and then she opened the door.

"Hello, sweetheart," I said from the piano. Sookie leaned against the doorway. She wore a yellow sundress. The shirt was full, and the straps were tiny scraps across her tanned shoulders. Once again, it was reminiscent of the dresses women wore when I was human, and I loved her in it. Her skin was warm and fragrant from a shower, and her hair was pulled back with a deep-blue ribbon. "You look beautiful."

She blushed, the blood flooding the surface of her cheeks, which made her even more appealing. "I've never heard you play," she quietly said. "That's just…" I stopped and leaned back on the bench, holding my arms open for her. She stepped into my embrace. "That was lovely," she said into my hair.

I shrugged. "I've had a lot of time to practice."

"What's all that?" she asked, pointing towards the equipment in the middle of the living room. "I noticed it when I stayed here while you were away."

"Wii."

She giggled and pulled back to look at me in the eyes. "You play Wii?" I nodded, and she laughed out-right. "You're nearly two hundred years old, and you still play video games?"

"It's fun," I said. "And, in my defense, it's relatively recent technology, so I'm not sure 'still' is appropriate."

"That screen is enormous," she said.

"I appreciate life-sized graphics."

"Did you know they have a vampire-slayer game out now?" she asked.

"I am aware, but I don't have it. I prefer the simpler things in life."

"Such as?"

"Golf," I answered. She laughed again, and I tightened my arms around her waist. "You're laughing at me."

"No," she said, shaking her head. "I'm not." I raised an eyebrow at her. "Well," she amended. "Maybe just a little bit."

I fingered the ribbon in her hair and smiled. "Have you decided to be my prize pig after all? You know, I Googled 4-H."

"Of course you did," she said, leaning into me.

"It seems like a decent organization," I continued as her fingers played with my collar. "I'm thinking of donating to them."

"Hmmm," she hummed into my forehead. Her breathing grew more rapid, and she pressed her warm, soft body against me. "I brought it for you. I told you that you would look better in it."

"I don't think anything could look better than you," I said. I buried my face into the bodice of her dress, rubbing my nose gently across her nipples through the thin fabric.

"Oh Bill," she sighed.

The lust from the hunt came flooding back, as if the garlic had never happened, and I cleared my throat. "Sookie," I said. I steadied her with my hands on her hips, but I leaned the rest of my body as far back on the bench as I could. "Why are you making this so difficult? I told you last night that I wanted you well before we resumed…"

"Augh!" she fumed. She stomped her foot down on top of mine and glared at me. Her little foot did nothing to hurt me, but I winced slightly, assuming that was the response she desired. "I'm fine. I told you that last night, and the night before that, too. You're the one who's being difficult. I worked a full shift today. If I can do that, surely a little… well…" She blushed a deep red and cleared her throat. "If I can be on my feet for eight hours waiting tables, I think I can exert myself in other ways."

I tugged gently on Sookie until I felt her stop resisting me, and I pulled her back into my embrace, sliding her hips between my thighs.

"Why do you like fighting with me?" I softly asked.

"I don't."

"For something you don't like to do," I gently suggested. "You seem to do it rather frequently."

"Only when you start it," she huffed.

I couldn't help but smile even as she infuriated me. "Sookie, I don't think you should be working at all, let alone a full shift, and so while it pains me greatly, it would be hypercritical of me to say one type of exertion is acceptable, but another type is not."

She put one hot hand on each cheek and lifted my face so I was looking into her eyes. "I didn't listen to you about working, so why should I listen to you about anything else?"

"Has it ever occurred to you that I have more life-experience than you do? That perhaps I've learned a thing or two in the nearly two-centuries I've walked this earth?"

"Has it occurred to you that I really don't care?" she teased. Before I could respond, she leaned over and kissed me. She started off soft and gentle, with just enough pressure on my lips to keep me from speaking. But gradually, she deepened it. I allowed her to lead, and when she nipped my lower lip with her teeth, I tightened my hold around her waist.

"Sookie," I managed to get out.

"No arguing, Mr. Compton," she said. "You don't like fighting, remember?"

"Are you trying to take advantage of me?" I asked as I slid my hands up her skirt, running them along her smooth thighs.

"Yes," she nodded. "I suppose I am. And tonight, just tonight, you're going to do whatever I say."

"Whatever you say?" I repeated as I kneaded her bottom and flicked my finger gently against her damp panties.

"Yes," she repeated, sucking her bottom lip into her mouth as my fingers teased her through the lacy scraps of material women considered undergarments. "Tonight, I'm in charge."

The last woman who'd had power over me was Lorena. Not only was she older and stronger than I, she was my Maker. My submission to her desires had not been voluntary, as this would be. I'd been compelled. I did not like feeling out of control, and part of me wanted to immediately end this little game, but for a moment, I thought of Sookie and what her life must be like. She willingly gave herself to me when she knew I could easily overpower her and kill her. She spent her days bombarded with the thoughts of others. In the past two weeks, she'd had friends and acquaintances killed, she'd witnessed the death of a vampire, her grandmother had been murdered, and she in turn had killed the killer. Who was I to begrudge her a sense of control in a world that was so obviously out of her hands?

I held my hands open in a gesture of surrender, and when she looked at me and smiled, I said, "I am at your mercy, Miss Stackhouse."

Her smile widened for a moment, and then once more she looked troubled. I felt her insecurity and uncertainty through our bond, and I nodded to encourage her. She took a deep breath and looked more determined when she stepped out of my embrace and started unbuttoning my shirt.

The trembling in her fingers had stopped by the time she tugged on it to untuck it and unbutton the last two buttons. She pulled it from my shoulders and moved behind me, her fingers tugging gently on my hair as she walked around to my back. Her lips were hot and wet as she kissed the backs of my ears, my shoulders, and my neck. She moved down, licking and kissing each of my vertebrae until she reached my slacks. Her fingers reached down towards my butt, and she wiggled them enticingly against my skin before slipping her tongue into my ear.

"I'm really beginning to see the appeal of your not wearing underwear," she whispered, her breath hot and moist as she nipped me. "But you're still overdressed."

She got down on her knees before me, and the sight alone was enough to make my already-hard cock twitch. She unintentionally licked her lips, and I bite into my lip to keep from moaning out loud.

She untied first one shoe, and then the other, slipping them off along with my socks. Then she reached up and unhooked my belt, tugging it slowly, the leather snapping loudly in the quiet room when it was loose.

"Stand up," she ordered, and I immediately complied. She made short work of my slacks, the material falling from my hips to the floor. "Sit back down," she said. I did as she commanded, and she slid the pants off, dropping them unceremoniously on top of the rest of my garments.

The piano bench was cool beneath me, and I felt every imperfection in the wood on my sensitive skin. Once more, Sookie knelt before me, a blush crossing her cheeks as she saw the physical evidence of my arousal.

"You will not make a sound," she said, and I internally smiled at what a natural she was. "Unless I specifically tell you to." I nodded my understanding. "Good."

She pressed herself against my chest, her soft hair tickling my arms as she licked and kissed my nipples. She was intentionally keeping herself away from my cock, but I watched as she began to move her hips in time with her suckling, soft sounds of contentment escaping as she caressed my arms, my chest.

"Have you missed me?" she asked. I did not speak. She smiled. "Good. That was a trick question."

She eased back onto her heels, bracing herself with her hands on my thighs, and her kisses moved further down. Her tongue was wet and smooth as it traced the rim of my bellybutton, her hair now brushing against me as she moved her head slowly, licking the lines of my abdominal muscles.

She teased the very tip of me with her tongue, and in spite of myself, I groaned quietly in the back of my throat.

"Oh Bill," she tisked, clucking her tongue. "I told you not to speak. Has it ever occurred to you that I, in my infinite if mortal wisdom, know best? Now I have to punish you." Once more, I didn't answer. She cupped my balls in her hands and pulled them gently, forcing me forward on the bench until I was perched on the very edge. "What should I do with you?" she mused, smiling up at me from her position near the floor.

I was very aware of how vulnerable I was, my most sensitive parts exposed and available for her to do with as she pleased. But I trusted Sookie, and I felt her empowerment and arousal through our bond, and I thought that I would do anything to make this woman happy, even if it meant humiliating myself or hurting myself for her.

"Watch," she demanded, and she stuck first one, and then a second finger into her mouth. She sucked them enthusiastically, swirling her tongue and making sounds of pleasure, as if she were sucking me rather than her own hand. When they were glistening, she ran them down my length, squeezing firmly, before moving down in between my legs, teasing my entrance as I had done to her the night before.

I felt my eyes begin to lose focus, and once again I bit my lip to keep from making noise.

"Watch," she said again, and I shook my head to clear it and focused back on her. As I did, she flicked her tongue over my tip, catching the pink drop that had collected. Her fingers continued their staccato dance behind me as she took me deep into her mouth. When I felt the back of her throat, she backed all the way out, only to immediately suck me back in. This went on several times, and it'd been so long since I'd had her, it was almost enough to make me release. But as I felt my muscles begin to tense, she pulled out and leaned back once more on her heels.

It flashed through my mind that she might not understand what she was doing to me, but one look at the wicked gleam in her eyes, and I knew that she knew exactly what she was doing. I internally groaned but made certain no outward signs escaped.

She smiled and reached up to untie the blue ribbon that held back her hair. As the blond curls fell freely around her face, she retied it around my cock, her fingers teasing as she worked the cool satin ribbon into a large bow.

"There," she said. "I told you it would bring out your eyes." She leaned back to admire her handiwork. "No! Wait!" She clapped her hands and smiled before reaching back and retying the ribbon, this time leaving one end long like a leash. "Now you're _my_ prize pig," she announced when she was done. I fervently hoped Eric wasn't snooping around tonight, as he would never let me hear the end of this. "Come on." She tugged gently, and I obediently followed her, carefully staying close by her heels. While it wouldn't take much to pull off the fragile ribbon, I wanted to make sure I didn't break any more of her rules. She led me up the stairs and into the bedroom. She stopped by the bed, and I heeled just behind her.

"Lie down," she said. I watched as she kicked off her sandals, and then she slowly removed her lacey panties, keeping her skirt demurely covering her as she twirled them on one finger before tossing them into the hamper. She smiled through her lashes and blushed again as she straddled my lap and untied my blue leash with trembling fingers.

I was painfully hard still, and the smooth ribbon sliding against my skin make me twitch again, and another pink droplet of liquid formed at my tip. Once more I was biting into my lip to keep quiet, this time hard enough to draw blood as my fangs sank into my flesh.

Sookie leaned forward and sucked my bloody bottom lip into her mouth. She'd had my blood before, but just those two drops entering her were overwhelming, and my fingers dug into the bed to restrain myself from grabbing her and drinking from her and fucking her until I was satisfied.

Sookie pulled away from my mouth when she heard the ripping fabric, and her eyes widened and I felt her fear when she saw the holes in the bedding and pieces of mattress clenched in my fists. She didn't stop, though. She merely swallowed and slowly lowered herself onto me, carefully arranging her skirt so it billowed out around her.

I dropped the ruined bedding and held onto her hips, steadying her as she swiveled and rubbed her clit against my pelvic bone. I felt every inch as she rose up, just so the tip of me remained inside her, before slamming back down and starting over again.

Her dance was torturously and deliciously slow, and once more I bit back the urge to flip her beneath me and move as I wanted to. My hips bucked against her, my body desperately needing more.

"Now," she finally moaned. "Bill, now. I want you to."

I moved as quickly as I could, knowing she wouldn't be able to see me, that she would be disoriented as she found herself suddenly beneath me, but I couldn't stop. I thrust into her as hard as I dared, fervently hoping I wasn't hurting her. I growled against her throat, feeling her skin vibrate against my lips.

I felt her internal muscles immediately begin to tighten, and I licked the vein in her neck, feeling it throb against my tongue before biting into her flesh.

It had been too long, far too long, and her blood gushed into my mouth with each throb of her heart. It was hot and sweet, and she cried out as the pain of the bite blended with the intensity of her orgasm. I released inside her as I sucked the wound, feeling her clench and squeeze me, finally giving me the pleasure I needed.

I bit my tongue and licked the wounds closed on her neck, healing the marks before pulling her into my side. She shivered against me, her little dress providing no warmth from my cool skin.

"Would you like me to get you a blanket or draw a bath?" I quietly asked.

She languidly shook her head. "I'm too noodley to move right now."

"I'll carry you."

"No. I'll warm up in a minute." She sighed with contentment and rubbed her nose against my neck. I listened as her heartbeat slowly returned to normal and her breathing was once again steady.

"Bill?" she finally said.

"Yes."

"You know last night…" She cleared her throat.

"Sookie, you shouldn't ever feel embarrassed about anything with me. We've shared blood. It doesn't get much more personal than that." I hugged her to me, grateful that she had said that so I could remind her.

"I've heard a lot of people think about… that…" She paused, and I waited for her to continue. "But I've never… And then tonight, downstairs…"

"Yes?"

"Did you like when I did that to you?"

"Very much," I whispered into her hair.

"Are you disappointed that I didn't do more?"

I sighed. "You could never disappoint me," I said. "Yes, it would've been wonderful if you had penetrated me, but we don't have to try everything right away. We have all the time in the world. I want you to be comfortable."

"Wouldn't it hurt?"

I shrugged. "A bit, perhaps, at first. It's been a long time for me, and you're inexperienced, but if it did hurt, it would hurt in that good way."

"The good way…" Her voice trailed off. "Why does it feel good?"

"Well, I think there are a couple of reasons," I said. "First, just from a physiological standpoint, there are a lot of nerve endings in that area. I think part of it is the forbidden-fruit aspect, that it's dark and secret, which makes us feel wanton." She giggled nervously. "And finally, it's something special that one wouldn't do with just anyone. There's that notion of fullness, of knowing that I can't get any closer to you. If I were inside you, and inside you in behind, and you had bitten my tongue and were drinking my blood with our mouths connected, I couldn't get any closer."

Once again there was silence, and I gently stroked her hair. "Bill," she finally said. "Why did you let me order you around? You could've stopped me at any moment."

I sighed and thought for a minute.

"Bill?" she asked, and I knew she thought I wasn't going to answer.

"You have to understand something, and I'm not sure I can explain it because you've not experienced it yourself."

"Please try," she said.

"Our blood," I began. "Vampire blood. It's not like human blood. For example," I explained. "My blood that you've ingested. It's inside of you, but it's still connected to me. I can feel it, sense it, inside of you. My blood in you craves to be united with the rest of my blood."

I immediately sensed her discomfort. "Is that permanent?"

I shrugged. "There haven't been a lot of studies, frankly, but from what I know, the bond can lessen over time and distance, but no, it'll never completely go away." I gave her a moment to soak that in, and I waited until she nodded her head to continue. "If you were to die tonight, my blood inside you would die with you. Emotionally, of course, and mentally, I would grieve your loss, but in theory, I would eventually be able to recover in an emotional and mental sense of the word. But physically, if you were to die, my blood would always crave the blood that died with you. Physically, I would always, forever, or until I died, feel your absence. That's why so few vampires bond with humans. It's too painful."

"I don't understand why you're telling me this," she finally said.

"I'm trying to explain," I said. "And apparently, I'm doing it rather badly."

"I'm listening," she insisted.

"The bond between a Maker and a Child is the most powerful and most sacred in our world," I said. "The act of turning, because there's so much blood involved, is the most erotic act for a vampire, and most vampires will only do it once or twice in a very long lifetime." She nodded for me to continue, and I felt shame and guilt for not telling her about Jessica, for dumping Jessica with Eric, but I pushed those feelings away and focused on the warmth of Sookie at my side.

"My Maker kept me with her for many decades."

"She?"

I nodded. "We… share an unusually strong blood-bond because of the time I spent with her."

"Most Children leave their Makers?" she asked.

I nodded again. "Sooner rather than later, usually. But my Maker… She refused to release me for a long time."

"Oh Bill," Sookie sighed.

I smiled. "I don't require pity, Sookie. She did, obviously. But before she did, her blood compelled me to abide by her wishes, whether I wanted to or not."

"Really? That's weird."

"Yes. It's difficult to explain to someone who hasn't experienced it, but even if every part of you is screaming in protest, if your Maker commands you, your blood will obey. So, in many ways, I spent many decades on a leash. Not a physical one, of course, but it might as well have been. And before that, I was in the army, and my choices were not my own. Before that, my father, who was a very stern man, made many life-changing decisions for me. So it's very difficult for me now to allow someone else to control me."

"So why did you?"

"I agreed to the rules of your game," I simply stated. "It would've been unfair for me to not do as you asked once I agreed that you were in control."

"Yes, but why did you agree in the first place?"

"I trust you," I finally said.

"Why?" she asked.

I considered her question for a long moment. "I don't know," I honestly answered. "But I do. For the first time in longer than I care to admit, I trust someone. It's difficult to explain." I shook my head. "I spend so much time, have spent so much time, being controlled by others, and then controlling myself. So many years spent focusing on self-discipline and trying to deny what I want most because…" I ran my hand through my hair.

"Please tell me," she said.

"I'm trying to be a good man," I burst out. "I try. But to let someone else, someone who's good, someone I trust, to make the decisions, just for a little while… It feels… good…"

"Is it scary?" she asked.

I nodded. "Yes," I whispered. "Very."

"For me too," she said. "But it's in that good way, I think."

I smiled. "It's your turn to be overdressed." I carefully removed her dress and slid one of my soft cotton Henleys over her head. I opened the drawer of the bedside table and pulled out a bottle of water, a box of the milk she liked, and a package of almonds.

"More snacks in bed?" she teased. "Pretty sure of yourself, aren't you?"

I shook my head. "Nope." I propped up on the pillows, and she leaned back against me. "I just like to be prepared." She smiled up at me and seemed content to let me feed her. When she was finished, I pulled the covers up around her so she didn't get too cold lying against me.

"I'm sorry I made you ruin the bed," she murmured, her voice thick with sleep.

"You're worth it," I replied.

"I liked this bed."

"We'll get another one."

She yawned. "Okay. Do you want me to pay for half since I made you do it?"

I rolled my eyes. "When's your next night off? I have something I'd like you to do with me."

"Not tomorrow, but the next night." She yawned again.

"Go to sleep, Sookie."

"Will you stay with me?"

She was already asleep when I whispered "Always."

I held her until it was nearly dawn, and then I carefully slid out from beneath her, tucking the covers around her and setting the alarm. As I made my way downstairs, I considered, for the first time since Lorena, having someone to sleep beside me every day. The hiding hole would need massive renovations before it was suitable for her, and I wondered if I were ready for such a commitment. If she were. What if Eric was correct, that our relationship was doomed before it could even begin?

Thinking of Eric, one of the three living creatures who'd had my blood, I stretched out on the dirt floor and flipped open my phone.

"Bill," he answered. "This is an unexpected pleasure. Need a bedtime story to chase away the boogie-man? Oh wait – you are the boogie-man." He chuckled at his own joke.

"How is she?" I asked.

"I had business to attend to this evening," he said. "She's been with Pam. Would you like me to put her on?"

"No," I said. "It's late, and she should already be asleep. I just…" Words failed me, and I pinched the bridge of my nose.

"You're welcome to come to see her yourself," Eric said. "Anytime."

"I'm sure you're taking excellent care of her," I quickly answered.

"Have you spoken with Sookie about her?" He paused for a few seconds. "I'm going to assume, by your silence, that the answer is no. Pam tells me that women nowdays have unrealistically high expectations of honesty when it comes to romantic relationships. I'm not sure how lies of omission rate on the honesty scale, but I'm thinking it's not good."

"Thanks for the tip," I sighed.

"Anything to help a brother in need," he said, and I could hear the grin in his voice.

"That's all," I said. "Goodnight."

"Before you hang up," he said. "Since you owe me anyway, can I just say it'd be in your best interest to get over yourself?" I growled into the phone. "Yes, well, it's true. I've been saying it for decades. You should listen to me once in while. You're vampire, Bill. Stop trying to play human and beat yourself up all the fucking time for being what the gods made you. In other words, GET OVER IT!" He shouted the last words, and I had to quickly pull the phone away from my ear. I heard him laughing, and then he hung up.

I snapped my phone shut and lay on the dirt and listened to the peaceful sounds of Sookie sleeping above me, wishing I could hold her.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: The Wiki'd Women are hosting a writing contest. For all of you who love both Eric AND Bill (and really – who doesn't want it all?), get your fingers flying and type up some Lovin' (you'll have to fix the link to make it work – sorry, not my rules): http: // billswikid women (dot) wetpaint (dot) com/page/ Fanfic+Writers +Competition-+Make+Love,+Not+War!

I wrote Andre, Hadley, and Sophie-Ann in Waking the Dead before they appeared (or didn't, in Andre's case) in Season Two; I'm continuing to write them in that way. Also, in my version of events, Bill's special abilities include perfect-recollection. He doesn't forget anything. Ever. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Four

"Bill," Pam purred at the door. Several humans dress in black who were loitering in the parking lot perked up and started moving closer to the seductive tenor of her voice. "Come to retrieve your brat, I hope?" She growled at the humans, and they scattered but seemed thrilled. I shook my head at their stupidity. He who did not take Pam seriously did so at his peril.

"I am here at Eric's request," I explained. "Is he available?"

Pam snickered and rolled her eyes. "He's in his office. No need to knock."

"Are you going to let me in on the joke?" I asked.

"Now why would I go and ruin all my fun?" she laughed. "Hurry along. Wouldn't want you to be tardy…"

"Always a pleasure, Pam," I said under my breath as I walked inside the bar, and her mocking laughter followed me.

Fangtasia was full of its usual mix of hard-core fangbangers and tourists, the stench of sweat and sex repugnant. The appeal of pandering to the humans still baffled me.

Jessica was up on one of the tables, wearing a mini-dress that appeared to be made of rubber. I caught her eye and nodded, but she only huffed and turned her back to me, shaking her bottom in my general direction.

The new bartender, Chow, was just as friendly with the patrons as Longshadow had been, acting as though paying far too much for a drink was their privilege. We nodded to each other, and I carefully did the same to the three other vampires mingling with the crowd, none of whom I knew well.

I went through the door that led to the restrooms, store room, and Eric's office. His door was closed, but I could hear the sounds of sex through the reinforced steel. I sighed, knowing I'd arrived when he'd told me to. I quietly opened the door and slipped inside.

Eric was sprawled out behind his desk, the fly of his expensive jeans open. A blond-haired girl moved up and down enthusiastically while he grinned at me and gestured to one of the empty chairs.

"Bill, punctual as always. Sit." He shook his long hair and leaned back, a slow smile moving across his lips. He twisted his hands cruelly into the girl's hair and guided her movements. I felt it in our shared blood when his pleasure began to build, and my fangs pressed uncomfortably against my gums as I instinctively reacted. At the last moment, he pulled the girl away, stroking himself to completion while he buried his fangs into her neck.

I watched his cheeks hallow as he pulled harshly on the wound. The girl cried out and struggled, but Eric only smiled at me around her bloodied neck and continued to feed. He pushed her away when he was done and calmly wiped his blood from his hand with a tissue. The girl stumbled, and Eric easily caught her by the wrist and twisted her around to look at him. As soon as she did, she slumped under the power of his glamour.

"You will have the hardest orgasm you've ever experienced in your life," he commanded. I looked away as the girl immediately began panting and, within seconds, was crying out and writhing against Eric. He stared at the ceiling, obviously bored, and didn't move until she was once again silent.

"You will realize when you wake tomorrow that you are not interested in a drug-lifestyle. You will check yourself into rehab and never do drugs again." Eric released his grip on her arm and started to turn away. At the last moment, he smiled and said, "You will tell everyone who asks that sex with me is indescribably good and unforgettable." At that, he broke their connection. The girl blinked and shook her head a few times. Then she noticed me.

"Hey," she drawled as she pressed her breasts against the back of my head.

"Eric," I said.

"Leave," he said.

"But I…" she began.

"Leave," he repeated. The woman huffed a bit, but left quietly, shutting the door behind her. "I thought you might be hungry," he shrugged.

"I drank a TruBlood in the car," I said.

He snorted. "That's your own damn fault." He sat back down and slouched in the chair, stretching out his long legs. "Oh, Bill, you take yourself entirely too seriously."

"Some might say you don't take anything seriously enough," I countered.

Eric laughed. "Hmmm… But that is nice. From time to time, I do enjoy a good buzz."

"What's she on?" I asked.

"Pills, unfortunately. Really not very original, that one. The trinity, I think: vicodin, soma, and xanax."

"That can be quite dangerous, you know." I meant to the humans. Even with enough drugs in the blood to nearly kill a mortal, a vampire will only feel the effects for a short while.

Eric shrugged. "What do I care? Once in a while, it's a pleasant sensation. Thank goodness cocaine has gone out of fashion. Why people would pay good money to feel that oversexed and aggressive is beyond me."

"Maybe because you feel that way all the time?"

Eric quietly laughed and shook his head. "Touché, my friend. Touché. You know what I truly miss though?"

"As I noted when we spoke earlier, Sookie is off work at 1:30, and I will be home to meet her there."

"Laudanum," he continued, as if I hadn't spoken. "Were you vampire when everyone was guzzling laudanum? They took it for everything. Of course, dissolving opium in booze will cure you of just about anything that's ailing." He laughed. "Oh, I miss it… I keep thinking it'll come back into vogue, as everything seems to do, but those anti-drug people are seriously uptight. I think they would benefit from some chemical-mellowing."

"Eric," I repeated. "Why did you summon me?"

He stood and rolled his eyes. "Oh Bill," he said as he dropped a heavy hand onto my shoulder, his strong fingers massaging my neck. "You're spoiling my buzz."

I shrugged him off. "I am quite serious, Eric. I will leave at 12:45, whether you are finished with me or not."

He clucked his tongue as he settled back into his chair behind the desk. "Speeding home to your girl, Bill? That's not very safe, now is it?"

"What do you want?"

"Why won't you play with me?" he mused.

"What do you want?" I repeated.

He sighed deeply and took a pad of Fangtasia paper from a drawer in his desk. He scribbed, "I want another set of books."

I raised an eyebrow and studied him. I set up Eric's bookkeeping, and I knew he already had three sets of records. The first, of course, was the actual financial records for the club, the ones he shared with the co-owners of the bar. They skimmed from the first to produce the second, which was for the Queen to calculate her tribute. And the third, the "official" record for human purposes, was cooked even more, showing but a fraction of the profit.

"For my eyes only," Eric wrote on the paper. "Longshadow will not be repeated," he said as he crumbled the paper and added it to the bloody tissue in a small bowl. He poured vodka on top before setting it aflame. "And if I know you," he winked at me. "And rest assured that I do, I'm sure you write some kind of back-door into the code, yes? So you can always access the information, even if it is encrypted?" I curtly nodded. "Don't do that," he commanded, all teasing suddenly gone from his voice and expression.

I nodded. "Why do you care?" I asked. "Those few thousands Longshadow took were nothing to you. You have what? Hundreds of millions stashed away? A few billion? Probably more."

"I will not be cheated out of what is rightfully mine," he said, and I knew he wasn't merely talking about money.

"You knew he'd taken it," I said. My nails drew blood in my palms. "You knew before you summoned us."

Eric inhaled deeply and smiled at my fists, licking his lips. "You've accused me of this kind of manipulation before, Bill."

"Deny it, then. Tell me that you didn't know."

Eric sighed. "That's your problem, Bill. You lose sight of the big picture. You're not willing to make sacrifices."

"Deny it," I repeated, slamming my fist on his desk so that the metal groaned and bent. "Deny it," I hissed.

"I knew he'd taken the money," Eric calmly replied. "Of course I knew. Who else would've done it? Pam is my blood; she would never betray me."

I slumped back into my chair, feeling surprisingly worse now that I knew the truth. "Then why bring Sookie into it?"

Eric shrugged. "I needed to know what she could do. I felt it was the best way to test her abilities." I growled. "And I wanted to test you, too, Bill," he continued. "I didn't anticipate that he would try to kill her, but I certainly didn't think you'd stake an elder in front of witnesses for your pet."

"Don't speak of her that way," I said.

"You've lost all reason where she's concerned." He stared at me for a long time. "Shall I warn you again?" he finally asked. "Should I regale you with tragic tales of pain and loss and betrayal, which is inevitably what happens when we put our trust in mortals? Do you need me to spell out the consequences of your blood perishing in a bonded's human body? Need I remind you that the ironic cruelty of the Magister will be nothing compared to Andre's wrath if he catches wind of what you're hiding? You may think I'm manipulative or without scruples, but Andre would rationalize any action, anything, for the Queen. He is far more dangerous than I."

"You could've just asked me what she's capable of," I said, moving the conversation away from Andre and the Queen.

"If you recall," Eric pointedly said. "And I know you do quite perfectly, I did ask you. You chose to be less than forthcoming, thus I was forced to conduct my own investigation."

"Why do you want her?" I asked.

"Why do you?"

"She is…" I began. I cleared my throat and shifted in my chair. "She is mine," I finally said.

Eric snorted and shook his head. "You claim that you want her because she's yours?"

"Why do you want her?" I repeated.

"That's obvious, isn't it?" he replied. "She's a valuable asset."

"She's still your asset if she's mine," I pointed out.

Eric smiled and tilted his head as he examined me. "True," he agreed. "But certain aspects of her… assets… cannot be fully utilized when she belongs to you." I narrowed my eyes at him and felt my fangs once again press against my gums, and he lazily waved me off. "Stop getting fangy on me," he said. "I'm not taking her from you. Of course, who knows what the future will hold. If she were to choose me of her own volition, well, there's nothing you could do about that. Rules are rules, Bill."

"Why are you such a Machiavellian fuck?" I asked.

"I could ask why you're such a tedious, self-flagellating prick. If you'd climb down from your high horse for a moment, you'd see that I'm simply answering your questions honestly, as one does among friends."

"Friends," I snorted.

"Yes Bill," Eric replied. "Friends. Do not think for a second in that enormous head of yours that I would tolerate such behavior from any other minion."

"First I'm a friend, and now I'm a minion…"

"Stick with what you're good at, Bill," Eric said in a fatherly tone. "And stay away from politics. I've told you that before. You really don't have the mind for it. Or the stomach." I didn't answer, and he smiled and shook his head. "So, speaking of what you're good at, when can you have it done?"

"I'll start the night after next."

"What's wrong with tomorrow?"

"I have a previous engagement," I said.

"With Sookie?" Eric sneered.

"What I do in my personal time is not your concern."

Eric laughed. "Run along home, Bill. I know you're done with me."

I stood and respectfully bowed my head. "I have one more issue before I leave," I said, my head still lowered. "Sheriff."

"Yes?" Eric slowly asked, obviously wary since I seldom used his official title.

"Do you have any…" I cleared my throat. "Guests... in the basement?" Very few people knew about Fangtasia's basements. One, which was accessible from a secret passageway, was a state of the art safe-room that doubled as a den of sin when Eric saw fit to entertain. The other, which came up through the bar, was little more than a holding area. There were coffins and silver chains for vampire-offenders, and a separate and equally inhospitable area for humans.

"Perhaps."

"One of Sookie's friends, the cook at Merlotte's, has gone missing. Lafayette?" Eric smiled and nodded. I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose. "Dammit," I muttered, knowing that I would never be able to explain to Sookie so that she would understand. "To make my life considerably easier, is there anyway you can forgive whatever it is he's done?"

"Making your life easier isn't something that interests me," Eric said.

"Yes, however…" I began.

"Were you acquainted with Eddie Gautier?" he interrupted.

I shrugged. "Not intimately…" I said.

"Much to his disappointment, I'm sure," Eric interrupted again, leering at me.

I chose to ignore him. "I announced myself to everyone in the area when I first moved back." I narrowed my eyes. "Why did you say 'were'?"

"He's missing, and I strongly suspect he's dead."

"Lafayette's involved?" I asked.

Eric shrugged. "He's a known seller of his blood."

I hissed. "Eddie sold his own blood?"

Eric nodded. "So, to answer your question, no, I will not simply forgive. Merlotte's will have to be short-staffed. I'm sure the shifter will manage. And I'm sure your little golden-girl will manage as well. Life is cruel. If she doesn't already know that, it's time she learned."

"He's a good friend of Sookie's," I repeated. "Just so you know."

"Drive safely, Bill. I look forward to seeing you soon."

***

"What's with all the packages?" Sookie asked when she came in through the front door. She was still dressed in her Merlotte's uniform, and I'd only just returned from Shreveport with barely enough time to casually settle myself onto the sofa with a book, as if I'd been sitting there all evening.

"They're for you," I answered, braced for her to berate me for buying her gifts.

"For me?" she asked as she dropped her purse onto the table. "What did you buy for me?"

"Well, knowing how you abhor gifts, they're really not yours," I smiled at her. "They're mine for you to use to make your stays here more comfortable."

She smiled and perched on the edge of the sofa in front of the stack of cardboard boxes. I handed her a knife to cut into the packing tape. She opened the new coffee pot, toaster, blender, and microwave.

"Bill," she sighed. "You didn't have to do that."

"Well," I said. "I can use the microwave too. And I told you, I do enjoy the smell of coffee."

She settled next to me, resting her head on my shoulder. "Thank you," she finally said.

I smiled. "Well, that was simple. I'll have to buy you more things if you're going to be so reasonable about accepting them."

"Don't push your luck," she quickly replied.

"Would it be 'pushing my luck' to suggest that you take a shower, and then I'll run us a bath?"

"Hmmmm," she hummed as she rubbed her nose against my shirt. "That sounds nice."

"Nice, but not too lucky?"

She laughed. "No, not too lucky." I pulled her onto my lap and kissed her, gently pulling the elastic from her hair and running my fingers through her blond curls.

"I think I'm extremely lucky," I whispered as my tongue dipped into her ear. She shivered, and I blew my cool breath down her collar. "Go hop in the shower," I said. "I'll get everything else ready."

While she ran upstairs and started the shower, I grabbed an assortment of snacks and beverages from the kitchen, glad that we would be going to pick appliances the following night. She was still under the spray as I lit the candles around the bathroom and filled the tub with hot water. Sookie turned off the shower, and I turned off the harsh electric lights and helped her into the tub.

"Ahh," she sighed as she settled in, the water coming up to her chin. "Now that's perfect."

"Really?" I asked as I kneeled behind her and carefully began combing out her wet hair.

"Well, you're right. I spoke too soon. That's even better." She closed her eyes and leaned back as I toweled her hair before I braided it for her, and then clipped it up so it wouldn't get wet. My task complete, I kissed the top of her head and climbed in behind her, settling her body between my legs, her head resting on my shoulder.

"How about now?" I whispered, wrapping my legs around hers and pulling her to my chest.

"I've never been quite that wrong," she said. "_This_ is perfect, and anything else is just… well… not."

"I have to concur," I said.

She giggled. "You sound so old-fashioned sometimes."

"I am old-fashioned," I said.

She nodded. "I'm not complaining. I think it's nice. It just sounds funny after listening to a bunch of rednecks all night. But funny in a good way." She shifted against me, rubbing in all the right places. "Hey Bill, speaking of rednecks, you don't think those guys took Lafayette, do you? The rednecks with the garlic at the DGD? They had a thing going on with Lafayette. Something about a burger, and then a soup-spoon?"

"I doubt it," I evasively answered, hoping she'd accept it.

She nodded her head. "You're right. Lafayette's smarter than that. I'm just worried, that's all." She shook her head. "People think I'm crazy for not dating much, but when those guys are what's available, I'd be crazy to date…"

"You said that you'd been on some dates."

She shrugged. "Not many to speak of, and most ended abruptly." She shifted again, and I felt her flush.

"That sounds like a story," I suggested.

"This is embarrassing," she said.

"I'll tell you one of mine if you tell me one of yours," I offered.

Sookie laughed. "Gran always said to watch out for boys who made deals like that," she teased.

"That's probably good advice," I countered. "But I'm not a boy. To prove it, I'll go first."

She hesitated for a moment, and then nodded. "How about your first kiss?"

"I wanted to marry a Bellefleur," I began.

"Bellefleur?" she repeated. "As in a relative of Terry and Andy?"

"Yes. They were the richest people I knew, and they owned most the land around here." I sighed and pulled her against me. "I didn't want to be a farmer, like my father," I tried to explain. "I wanted to travel. I wanted to play the piano and read. I wanted to go to university."

"Then why didn't you?"

"Life was different then. My brother died, and I would inherit the farm. I needed to marry a woman who could help, who would work along side. I would care for my parents in their old age, and then pass the farm to my son, who would take care of me." Sookie nodded. "I never would've been allowed to marry a Bellefleur, but I wanted to."

"So you kissed Andy Bellefleur's great, great, great..." She turned her head. "I don't know how many greats that would take."

"I did not," I said. "I really didn't like either of the Bellefleur sisters my age. It's horrible to admit, but I just liked their life. Does that make sense?" I waited until Sookie nodded before continuing. "My father knew I wanted a different life, and that I didn't take to any of the local young ladies, so he asked me to accompany him to Monroe, for business. It was there I met my wife."

"What was she like?" Sookie whispered.

"She was very young when we were married, by today's standards. Only 17."

"Bill!" Sookie scolded.

I shrugged. "That's how it was done. I was only three years older."

"Was it love at first sight?"

I shook my head. "No. I wouldn't say that. But there was something about her from the very beginning. A fierceness, you could say. A brightness to her eyes. You remind me a lot of her in that way." I smiled at the memory of the days before my wedding. "I'd never kissed a woman," I said. "Not that I hadn't wanted to, of course, but we worked hard and Bon Temps was such a small town. I didn't want to shame my mother by acting ungentlemanly." I sighed, knowing this was the part Sookie would object to. "My father had made arrangements with the Bellefleurs so that I could be…" I cleared my throat. "Schooled, I suppose you could say, by one of their women."

"Oh my lord!" Sookie said, turning to look at me. "You're kidding."

"No," I answered. "Do you want to hear the rest or not?"

"That's awful, Bill. I can't believe you would do that."

"I didn't," I said. "My father mocked me mercilessly, but I didn't. And then, the night I'd fought with my father, which was just days before my wedding, Rebecca came to my room…" Sookie nodded in a knowing way. "She kissed me," I said. "It was my first..." I leaned my head back against the edge of the tub and closed my eyes, pulling Sookie so that once more she rested against my chest. "Your turn."

"I can't believe your father would suggest that you sleep with someone else before your wedding."

"Isn't that what men still do?"

"They most certainly do not," Sookie said.

"What about those bachelor parties with the professional women?"

"Well," Sookie stuttered. "Well… That's different."

I smiled. "Arguing isn't going to get you out of telling me one of your stories."

"One day you're going to tell me more about Rebecca," she said. I didn't respond. "Derek Breaux," she finally sighed.

"Who?"

"He played football. He was a senior when Jason was a freshman, so I was just a kid, really. But I had a humongous crush on him. All the girls did. I think most of the moms did too, now that I think about it." I quietly laughed. "He was glorious, and he was really very talented. He went on to play at LSU."

"Did you know that LSU Tigers is a reference to the war?" I asked.

"The Civil War?" I nodded. "Really?"

"There was a group of men from Louisiana who fought in the Army of Northern Virginia, and they were known for their fierce bravery in battle. They were called Lee's Tigers. After the war, the university mascot was named in their honor."

"I didn't know that."

I shrugged. "It's true, but I interrupted. Derek Breaux."

She shook her head. "This is so embarrassing. Anyway, everyone loved him, and I was no exception."

"I thought you said you were a child?" I smiled.

"Not that much of a child," she countered. "So I started hanging out during football practice. As Tara would say, I was about as subtle as a flying brick." She giggled. "So one day, Jason walks out of practice with Derek, and he says, 'Hey Derek, this is my little sister.' Part of me wanted to crawl into the ground and die right there, but instead, I kind-of launched myself at him and kissed him."

I couldn't help but laugh, and Sookie joined in. "I know, right?" she said, shaking her head. "Poor guy. He was all sweaty and smelling from practice, and this little girl throws herself, quite literally throws herself, at him."

"Did he kiss back?" I asked.

Sookie shook her head. "No. He was really nice about the whole thing, though, acting like I'd tripped or it was some kind of accident. I thought Jason was going to kill me. But that was my first kiss."

I shook my head. "You cheated," I said. "I told you a serious story of my first kiss, and that's like something out of a movie. I'm not sure it should count."

"It was my first kiss," she protested. "That was the agreement."

"I think you cheated," I growled as I nipped her neck.

She grabbed my thighs and rubbed against me. "I don't cheat," she said, her breath catching in her throat.

I flipped her around so that she was on her hands and knees in the tub, and I eased in from behind her. "You cheated," I whispered into her ear as I stroked in and out. Water sloshed from the tub and splashed noisily onto the newly refinished floor, but I didn't care. Sookie's eyes were closed and she arched her head back, exposing her delicately pulsing artery to me.

The wet slap of her bottom against my thighs and the splashing water was quickly lost as I bite down, not able to keep myself from moaning as her blood filled my mouth with each beat of her heart. Sookie cried out as she came, her muscles milking my own release.

She slumped forward, resting her forehead against the edge of the tub as I pulled out and licked the bites on her neck, healing them with my bloodied tongue. I opened the drain and threw a stack of towels on the floor to soak up the mess before scooping her up and carrying her to bed.

"I'm all wet," she quietly protested as I pulled back the sheets. Still holding her, I grabbed a clean sheet and dried us both before crawling under the covers and spooning up behind her. "Did you get a new bed?" she asked, feeling the smooth mattress and fresh sheets.

"Not yet," I said. "I just flipped it over. They say that's a good thing to do anyway."

She giggled. "Yeah, every few months so it wears evenly, not because you ripped out big chunks of it."

"I thought you were claiming responsibility for that?" I teased.

"Oh yeah, I am…" She sighed and snuggled into me. "You're all warm from the bath," she said. "It feels nice."

"Do you mind that I'm always cold?"

She shook her head. "Although it is taking some getting used to..." I bit back the urge to ask her to explain. "I'm so glad I have the day off tomorrow. Are we still going out?"

I nodded. "If you don't mind. There's something I need your help with."

"That means I get to sleep in tomorrow," she yawned. "That sounds nice."

"Are you hungry or thirsty?" I asked.

She shook her head. "Do you think I get sleepy because of the blood, or is it the mind-blowing sex?"

"I don't know about mind-blowing," I began.

"I do," she interrupted. "I'm becoming quite the expert."

I smiled. "Maybe it's a little of both." She nodded. "I've never had an… ongoing relationship… with a human. I mean, I've had donors more than once…"

She held up her hand to stop me. "I don't want the gory details of your life before TruBlood," she said. "While I openly acknowledge it's silly, that of course you've had women, lots and lots of women, I just don't want to think about them."

"I've never claimed a human," I told her, happy to move away from the subject of my past. "So I honestly don't know. You'd think someone would write some books. Maybe there are articles online? Or I could ask someone older. Would you like me to ask?"

She snorted. "No, I would not." She was quiet for a moment before continuing. "Who would you ask about such things, anyway?"

I shrugged. "Eric."

"Definitely not. We'll just be happy to never know…"

"He is my boss, Sookie. And now that he knows what you're capable of, he will require your services again."

"Let's cross that bridge when we get to it, okay?"

I smiled. "Agreed."

* * *

Just as a warning to my faithful readers, I'm stepping away from fanfic for a little while. I have too many irons in the fire at the moment, and I've started working on a non-vampiric story. When the Muse calls, I have to listen. I'm not abandoning either Waking the Dead or Missing Two Weeks; it just might be a bit before the next update. My apologies, and thank you for your patience.


End file.
